Help Tyler and Megan become independent teens
Help Us Become Independent Teens
Hi! We’re Tyler and Megan Longoria. We are in 8th grade and getting really excited about going to high school next year.
There will be lots of exciting changes when we start high school and some serious difficulties too; that’s why we are applying to 4 Paws for Ability for help.
We were born prematurely and had lots of health problems when we were little that kept us in the hospital for months. As time went on we got stronger and were able to come home, but we both ended up with several disabilities that affect our lives every day. Both of us have Cerebral Palsy and we also have a form of Muscular Dystrophy called, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).
Although our mobility is limited we do fairly well using our wheel chairs to get around and we have always had the help of our sister Kylie and our mom, Karen, whenever we needed it. Now that we are getting older and our SMA is progressing, we are getting weaker as our muscle tone diminishes.
We need to be able to do more for ourselves.
Starting a new school in the fall will offer more challenges that we might not be able to meet without the benefits that come from having our own service dogs.
Some things a mobility service dog could do for us would be:
- Open doors
- Help us get dressed and undressed
- Carry some school supplies in a dog backpack
- Get our backpacks for us
- Pick up things we drop
- Get someone if we need help
- Bring the phone when it rings
- Pull our wheelchairs up inclines and ramps
- Help us make new friends
We have been accepted to receive service dogs from 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. Based in Xenia, Ohio. 4 Paws For Ability, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, provides service dogs to families and children that struggle with life’s daily challenges and who would otherwise be turned away by many other agencies.
With your help, we can receive our service dogs within 9-12 months after our fundraising is complete, unlike other agencies that would put us on a 5-year waiting list. 4 Paws for Ability, Inc. asks us to work with them in the fundraising process to cover the expense of training both our dogs which costs over $10,000 each.
If you donate in honor of Tyler and Megan Longoria, you’ll not only be supporting a wonderful organization, but your tax-deductible donation will help us qualify to receive the service dogs we need before high school starts.
Make your checks payable to 4 Paws for Ability and please be sure to reference “In honor of Tyler and Megan Longoria” in the memo portion of the check mailed to:
4 Paws for Ability, 253 Dayton Ave., Xenia, Ohio, 45385
or donate in our name on-line:
http://www.4pawsforability.org/donation.html
We are so grateful for your support…Tyler and Megan Longoria
Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. The organization is sound and its goals exceptional. Judy Vorfeld.